New Gardener Orientation 2021 Topics Covered Gardening Program & Management Parks & Recreation Staff Contacts Basic Garden Orientation • Garden Manager Contacts • Garden Calendar, Manual, Resources • Gardener Responsibilities • Tool Shed Use • Bird Friendly Trellising • Service Hours Rules Getting your plot started Drip irrigation Weed-control Using community composting projects Dealing with bugs and slugs Leaving in good standing Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 1 The Community Garden Program How Our Program Works We are a City of Hillsboro Parks & Recreation Program. Our program is administered by Parks & Recreation staff, employed by the City of Hillsboro. Our program is managed at the garden level by active volunteers who participate in the program. Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 2 Parks & Recreation Staff Lori Prince Outdoor Recreation Manager 503-681-6424 Community Garden Coordinator 503-681-5374 Susan Howard Administrative Support Specialist 503-681-6206 Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 3 Community Garden Volunteer Staff Sonrise Volunteer Staff Orenco Volunteer Staff David Hill Volunteer Staff Garden Manager Garden Manager Garden Manager Ulli Stuart Shay Lot Inspector Lot Inspector Lot Inspector Betty Victoria Joan Jan Compost Manager Compost Manager Tasha Vacant (contact Orenco Grant Mark Garden Manager) Richard/Melina Compost Manager Mark Mike Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 4 Garden Calendar: sonrisegarden.weebly.com Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting http://sonrisegarden.weebly.com Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 5 2021 Garden Manual Online Hillsboro-Oregon.gov/Community Gardens Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 6 Hillsboro Community Gardens are Organic Pesticides and Herbicides Do not use herbicides or pesticides not approved for use in organic gardening. Do not spray any substances in your plot without permission and without notifying neighboring gardeners. Check with your manager before using any herbicide or pesticide, even though they are in the OMRI list. You will be immediately removed from the program for breaking these rules. Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 7 Community Tool Shed Use Do Not Dump junk in or around tool sheds. Keep tool sheds locked & clean. Do not store personal items in tool sheds. Everything in the garden tool shed is for everyone to use, first-come-first-serve. Do NOT dump your tomato cages or other garbage in or around the tool sheds. Garbage can put some of our gardeners with reduced mobility at risk. Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 8 Bird Friendly Trellises For the Safety of Our Garden Birds This netting is prohibited throughout the garden for any use. Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 9 Gardener Responsibilities: Summary You must attend the spring orientation meeting EACH YEAR You must complete 8 service hours minimum each season to be eligible to renew your plot for the next year You must maintain your plot AND your pathways surrounding it all season You must completely clean up your plot at the end of the season and mulch it down in order to renew for the next year (winter gardening is allowed) Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 10 Garden Service Hours: What are They? Garden Service Hours: The time we spend working together in groups looking after the community areas of our gardens. Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 11 Garden Service Hours: Why do them? To Keep Our Gardens & Program SUSTAINABLE Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 12 Garden Service Hours: Major Projects Management tasks Maintaining our community garden compost projects Weed control projects in open spaces of the gardens These projects need a group to be done well. Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 13 Garden Service Hours (1 of 3) Doing Your Hours Garden managers will only count hours done at hosted, pre-approved work events. Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 14 Garden Service Hours (2 of 3) Doing Your Hours We count the hours done by one person per plot ONLY at any given work event. Friends and family are always welcome! Their hours do not count towards your 8 hours. Their efforts are very much appreciated. Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 15 Garden Service Hours (3 of 3) Work Events Protocol Spread your 8 hours over the full season. Plan to come out to three or four work parties. You will do all your service hours in your garden. Hours should be done by the final clean up deadline. Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 16 Three Official Work Parties Your garden managers & volunteers will host multiple small group work parties each season: Spring Garden Parties (2 – 3 hrs per session) Mid-Season Garden Parties (2 – 3 hrs per session) Gala Fall Garden Parties (2 – 3 hrs per session) These work parties are generally scheduled over a weekend so you can come EITHER Saturday OR Sunday. GMs might modify event schedules accordingly You can’t earn more than the hours offered (2 or 3). These parties are: The only guaranteed work party opportunities Schedule well in advance for easy planning Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 17 Garden Service Hours: Work Parties Gardeners host all other work events. If you can’t get to the official parties, or someone else’s event, you can arrange to host an event of your own. Plan to do four hours by the mid- season work party. This makes it easy to finish on time. There is no guarantee that there will be service work after the fall. Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 18 Mandatory Covid Prevention Regulations All gardeners MUST wear facemasks, keep 6 feet apart, wash hands and follow all federal & state covid prevention regulations during work parties. No more than 5 participants (excluding host) per work party. Garden Manager will send out a doodle link capped at 5 participants max. Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 19 Covid Sanitation Kits Available Onsite Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 20 Accessing the Irrigation System Water Keys! To access the garden irrigation system you will need a “4-way sillcock Key” or similar tool. Always turn the water off with the key when you leave. Hose bibs can leak! Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 21 Using the Irrigation System: Rules You must be on-site to water. No automatic watering systems are allowed. ALWAYS disconnect hoses from community hose bibs when done. Do not leave any devices attached to hose bibs. NEVER attach ANYTHING to the irrigation towers. Report breakages or leaks ASAP. Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 22 Using the Irrigation System: Hoses (1 of 2) Store hoses in plots, not in pathways. Never attach a hose hanger or anything else to the irrigation tower. A big NO NO! Hose all over pathway! Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 23 Using the Irrigation System: Hoses (2 of 2) Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 24 Starting Your Garden Soil health is the single most important input in your gardening. Unhealthy soil = unhealthy garden! Compacting soil is BAD, BAD, BAD! o Oxygen can’t get into compact soil o Water can’t get into compact soil Walking on your garden beds is BAD for your soil and for your garden! Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 25 Starting Your Garden: Introduction (1 of 2) Plot Layout is All Important! The layout of your garden can make you fail or help you succeed! “Plot Layout” means: where you plant where you walk how you want to get amendments to your plants (wheel barrow?) where you have open space how you plan to weed Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 26 Starting Your Garden: Introduction (2 of 2) Three IMPORTANT Considerations in Plot Layout You never want to step on the soil in your planting beds. Compaction! You must be able to get amendments to your plants. Wheelbarrow! You must be able to reach every part of your garden so you can weed and work in every part of your garden. Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 27 Starting Your Garden: Layouts Layout: Bed & Pathway Models Mark out pathways where you will always walk or run your wheelbarrow Mark out your garden beds where you will plant and not walk o Garden beds need to be narrow enough so you can reach into them easily at least halfway from each side. o You need access from both sides Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 28 Starting Your Garden: Layout Examples (1 of 9) Neighboring Gardens Garden Large Plot: 20′ x 20′ Beds • Easy to unload amendments from garden pathway • Easy to put woodchips in Wide Interior interior paths Pathways • Easy to reach all planting areas Access with wheel barrow from path.